Rose didn't know how to respond to Ana's question. What would the Master's say to their wedding? She really didn't know. Maybe they'd allow them a small ceremony if they fought well against Dante. Maybe they'd at least allow an official union. Maybe afterwards Allegra and Alberto's outlook on life would change (as many did) and they would just be content being mates. Rose really had no idea.

"I don't know," she shrugged. Rose listened inside the room, "I don't doubt any of their control; I do believe they'll be okay. It's just one of those things you can't not be here for."

She heard Aro tell Jane that Marcus and Caius would do the deed. Two Masters. Yes, they'd survive, but it wouldn't be pretty the next few days.

Rose wondered idly where they'd be taken after their transformation. They'd most likely be quarantined off and guarded. But Jane would let her in. She knew Rose wouldn't be doing them any harm. She sighed and returned to her listening, "Do you see anything?"

I slipped out of the practice room. I had started to blank out. Dantes was trying to enter my head. I had my wall up but he was hitting them. It felt like someone was taking a truck and rolling over my head. Blackness started to cover my eyes.

I fell in the garden. I was trying to fight him. My hands ripped the ground when I calwed it. The grass was gone and dirt filled its spot. I tried to sit up but only fell once more. Dantes was tearing my mind apart or so it felt. My mouth opened in a screamless scream.

My eyes no longer saw the open sky but now saw him. He was in the dark as normal. He laughed at my feble attempt to stop him. "Baby brother when will you learn," he laughed. "I'm more powerful then you ever will be."

Here I was standing. My cloths perfect but in the real worl they were torn. I had clawed at the ground and then myself. It was always like that. "Dantes mock me while you are still standing," I hissed. "You won't be this way forever."

"Baby brother you know your family doesn't stand a chance," he stepped out. He was holding somthing in his hand. It was a rope. "I have two memebers at my control." He pulled on the rope and Alec stepped out tying it. Something dark replaced his normal smile. He was under Dantes control but slightly under with free will.

"Alec why," I asked.

"He promised me power," he gave a wicked smile. "And it was better then him tearing at my head."

I did yesterday but I just checked and it seems the message has decided to nest itself in my Outbox. I tried again and no dice. Stupid thing. Anyone else care to do the deed?

-------------------

Rose waited and listened to the Masters. She thought she heard the rushing of movement in the passageway beyond but she ignored it for now. She waited until she heard that fateful noise, absently gripping Celia and Ana's hands harder with the passage of time.

Dantes laughed. "One tug," he smiled. "I'm almost ready to pull on the rope and bring her here."He moved over to alec. He placed a hand on his shoulder. A image of Jane appered on his other side. The image was smiling. "One tug."

The silence was becoming crushing. "Oh my god," Rose whispered, "I can't handle this, my head's going to explode." Just sitting there in silence was making Rose go stir crazy. She needed to walk around maybe that would help.

She made her way purposefully slowly to her room. She rarely spent time there. It was mostly formality. She went to the open balcony and took a deep breath. Her shoulders hunched and she dropped her head. It was a moment before she noticed the figure on the grass - or dirt pile rather. She could only see the person's back but the writhing gave away the identity.

She sat on the iron grate and looked down through it's interlacing. She wanted to see if Sabin was okay, but she knew Dante was there. If Dante knew that he favored her - or anyone for that matter - it would only be worse for him. She sat with her eyes closed. She was unconsciously remolding the railing to fit her grip - at least it kept her in her place.

"Definitely should have stayed with pounding silence," Rose laughed quietly. She thought about getting up to rejoin Celia, Ana and Stella's watch but she couldn't bring herself to a painful scenario - even if she'd be vacating another. "Stupid self preservation," she muttered to the iron railing.

"You did the same to me Dantes," I turned to face him. "You took away everthing I had. So I took yours. Why can't you just move on? Leave me alone?"

"Because you did something worse then I did," he said moving away from alec. "You enjoyed killing her." He stared at me. Truth was I did enjoy it. When he killed my mate he didn't. He was still holding that against me. "Go. Leave. Go back to your child. She will be yours for now."

Rose had begun singing every Irish folksong she could remember when she noticed things around her got eerily still. She'd been looking for something to distract her mind but it only partially worked.

She noticed Sabin lying still on the ground. She stood up and swung over the iron railing; she silently jumped to the ground. She walked slowly, silently, carefully until she was only a few feet away. She sat down and curled her knees to her chest and waited. She had no idea what to do in these types of situations. For Sabin, for Jane, even for Alec.

She just sat there. Just being there was all she could offer at this point. She watched but kept her ears trained on the castle and the Masters' Rooms. She heard nothing of significance yet.

I heard Rose come and sit down. She was being quiet. "Rose I know it is you," I smiled. My eyes still closed. "I have bad news."

I opened my eyes and looked up at her. She was one of the most important things in my life. I wouldn't let Dantes take that away from me. Not again. I proped myself up and looked at her. Her eyes full of worry. Is it possible to think she is cute that way? Must be because I did.

"I'll be fine," I siad. I picked up her hand and kissed it. "I promise."

Rose rolled her eyes, "I don't believe you but we'll roll with it I suppose." She held onto his larger hand and moved closer. She looked down at the grass. After a long moment she peered up at Sabin, "More bad news?" she said with a sad grimace.

"Everyday things get worse. Maybe we should just start this war and get it over with. Otherwise by the time we draw arms Dante will be a three headed beast, who can enter minds, breathe fire and do the macarena. Simultaneously."